bangtson



May 3o, 1933.

c. w. BANGTSON 1,911,739-

SAFETY LOCKING SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Dec. l5, 1950 fi ix r minkPatented 30,

PATENT oFrlcE Application lied December 15, 1980. Serial lo. $013,405.l

The o b'ect of my invention isto provide' a switch evice of simple,durable and inexpensive construction that may be readily, quickly andeasily installed by unskilled workmen in an automobile, and when thusinstalled will provide a device by which the 'operator may' ac tuateakey supported in the iloor board of the automobile and open the maincircuit from the .battery to the starter ignition and so forth, so thatit will be impossible to start the automobile, and also to avoid thedanger of having the automobile burned up by (short circuits from thebattery :to some other part of the automobile.

A further object is to provide a device t, of this character in which,when the switch has once been moved to open position, it cannot again bemoved to closed position except by the use of a key especially fitted toit, to

l thereby provide a safety device against theft.

A further object is to provide in a key aci tuated switch in which whenthe switch' has once been moved to closed position, the key cannot beremoved until the contactmembers of the switch `are completely open.

A further object is to provide in a switch of the ty above describedwhich may be t easily an quickly assembled or taken apart for cleaningorrepairs.

My invention consists in the construction,

arrangement andY combination of the various parts of the device,wherebygthe ob'ects contemplated are attained, as hereina ter more fullyset forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in theaccompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevationof my improved switch.

FigureV 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the floor board of anautomobile showing the manner in which my improved switch is appliedthereto, and the manner in which the switch is connected to the groundedcircuit ofthe ignition and lighting battery. Y. v v

My im roved switch comprises a body por-` tionA 10, aving its lower endslightly enlarged and screw threaded. The upper end b y means o the nuts11, in the manner clear- 1y illustrated in Figures 1 and2. Said body ing15, the lower end of said opening I`termlnating in an enlarged cavity16.

Secured to the lower end ofA the bocy 10 is ace of an annular Casin 17,the inner sur which is screw t rea'ded to fit the screw 65 threadedportion of the lower end of the body. Said casing has an inwardlyextendin flange 18 for supporting an insulation block 19 clamped betweenthe ange 18 and the lower end of the body 10. The center of the block 719 is provided with a terminal 20,-the lower end o which projectsdownwardly from the block and is ,screw threaded, said screw threadedportion having lock nuts 21.

A washer 22 is preferably placed between 75 the upper nut 21 andthelower side of the block 19, said washer being of such diameter that aspace 23 is left between the washer and the flange 18 to prevent shortcircuiting. 'lhe upper end of the terminal 2O is provided with 8 a headportion 24, the uppersurface of which serves as a contact member. y

The lower end 'of the opening 15 is provided with a screw threaded nut25 desi ed to receive the lowerv end of a screw thre n minal member 26,the lower end of which 1s designed to be moved into and out ofengagement with the head 24. rlhe upper end of the member 26 ispreferably square in cross section and terminating a slight distancebelow the upper edge ofthe body member 10. The upper end of the member26 is designed to receive the lower end of a key 27 whlch 1s providedwith a suitable socket 28. The lower end of the key is inserted in theupper end 95 move into or out of engagement with the 10 member 24.

13. The screw threaded 55 vis provided with a centrallongitudinal openoedter- 85 The upper end of the opening 15 is provided with a screwthreaded portion 29 for receiving an enlarged screw threaded portion 30on the lower end of the key 27.

The lock nuts 21 are designed to make connection with a conductor 31,one end of which is connected to the battery 32, preferably the groundedterminal of said battery. A conductor 33 has'one end clamped between thenut 11 and the upper edge of the body portion 10, and its opposite endgrounded to the frame of the automobile body 13, in the mannerillustrated in Figure 3. The battery 32 is also provided with aconductor 34 which leads to the ordinary ignition switch.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the terminals 20 and 26 are inthe grounded circuit from the battery 32 and moving the terminals apartwill cause all of the electrically operated and controlled mechanismfrom the battery to become inoperative, and any short circuiting of anyof the various circuits connectedvwith the battery to the grounded frameof the automobile will be eliminated, due to the fact that thecontrolling circuit is O en.

pThus means is provided whereby accidental res due to short circuitingof any of the circuits on the grounded frame members of the automobilewill be eliminated. Opening this circuit also provides safety a ainstburglary.

The key 27 provides simp e and effective means for moving the member 26to an open or closed position, which is accomplished by placin the lowerend of the key in the upper end of the opening 15 with the squareportion of the member 26 within the socket 28. Rotation of the key willthen cause it to'be moved to either an open or closed position asdesired.

To insure the member 26 moving to an open position each time the key 27is removed, the enlarged screw threaded portion 30 is p rovided to enage the screw threaded portion 29 after the ey has been inserted in theopening 15 and the upper end of the member 26 is in the socket 28. Thekey 27 is then rotated to move the said member 26 to a closed position,which at the same time causes the threaded portion 30 to enter and coactwith the threaded portion 29 in such manner that the said member 26 mustbe rotated in an opposite direction to open the circuit the same numberof revolutions as required to close it, before the key can be removed.Thus means is provided whereby ,any accidental movement of the keybefore the member 26 is moved to an open position is automaticallyavoided.

By terminating the upper end of the member 26 some distance below theupper end of the` opening 15, means is plrovided whereby the said member26 can e operated only when the proper key has been provided, and thuslproviding means whereby the switch may be utilized as a safety lock.

circuiting will Lelrvse Thus it will be seen that I have provided asimple, durable and inexpensive switch which may be easily and quicklyapplied to the floor board or other suitable sup ort, and when appliedin the grounded conductor of the battery will povide means whereby shortavoided when the switch is placed in an open position.

It will further be seen that I have provided an improved keyconstruction, whereby the circuit in which the switch is included willalways be in an open condition each time the key is removed.

In the drawing I have illustrated the switch mounted in the floor board,which is usually made of insulating material, such as wood, in whichcase the conductor 3,3 is necessary. It sometimes happens thatautomobiles have sheet metal floor boards, in which case the conductor33 may be eliminated.

Furthermore, I have illustrated the switch as being applied in thegrounded conductor of the battery. This is not absolutely necessary, asthe said switch may be used also in the conductor 34 if placed close tothe battery and in a conductor which is common to all of the electricalcircuits, which make connection directly through the batter it beingnecessary to place the switch 10 c ose to the battery if placed in theconductor 34 to prevent that portion of the conductor between the switchand the battery from accidentally making contact with the grounded framemember.

It will readily be seen that the switch may be applied to any supportother than the floor board if so desired without affecting the aiciencyof the device if placed in proper conductors.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the class described, a'bodymember, a movable screw threaded terminal supported in said body, afixed insulated terminal member, a key for actuating said movableterminal member to move it toward and from the fixed terminal member,and means for preventing said key from being removed after the terminalshave been moved to closed positions until after said terminals have beenmoved to open positions.

2. In a device of the class described, a tubular body portion enlargedat one end, the outer surface of which is screw threaded, the contractedend of said body being screw threaded, lock nuts for the last said screwthreaded portions, an annular screw threaded casing for the enlargedscrew threaded portion of said body, an insulated block carried by saidcasing andciamped between said casing and the end of said body, aterminal member fixed in said insulated block having lock nuts, a secondterminal member screw threaded in said bod to move toward andfrom thefirst termina. member, and a detachable ke for rotating saidv screwthreaded termina member.

l3. In a device of the class described, a tubular body portion enlargedat one end the ,5 outer surface of which is screw threade the contractedend of said bod bein screw threaded, lock nuts for the ast sai screwthreaded portions, an annularscrew threaded casing for the enlargedscrew threaded por- 10 ltion of said body, an insulated block carried bysaid casing and clamped between said casing and the end of sald body, aterminal member fixed in said insulated block having lock nuts, a secondterminal member screw l5 threaded in said body to move toward and fromthe first terminal member, a detachable key for rotating said screwthreaded terminal member, and means for reventing said key from beingremoved untilthe screw threaded 3 terminal member is moved out ofcontact with the fixed terminal member. y 4; In a device of the classdescribed, a body member a fired insulated terminal member, a mova leterminal member ada ted to be 95 moved into or out of contact witheiirst.

l said terminal member, a keyffor actuating said movable terminalmember, a conductor for makin operative connection with one of the movale terminal members and for* *3 grounding the same to the frame ofan-automobile, a second conductor for operatively` connecting the otherterminal member to a battery, and means for preventin said key frombeing` removed from said y and 35 from operative connection with saidterminal member until after said terminal member is moved to an openposition.

Des Moines, Iowa, October 14, 1930.

o CEciL w. BANGTSON.

